Percentage of recent high school completers enrolled in 2-year and 4-year colleges, by income level: 1975 through 2015

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]

Year

Percent of recent high school completers1 enrolled in college2 (annual data)

3-year moving averages3

Percent of recent high school completers1 enrolled in college2

Difference between percent enrolled

Total

Low income

Middle income

High income

Total

Low income

Middle income

High income

High-low income

High-middle income

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

1975

50.7

(1.29)

31.2

(3.65)

46.2

(1.72)

64.5

(2.13)

49.1

(0.75)

34.7

(2.79)

43.5

(1.24)

63.7

(1.49)

29.0

(3.16)

20.2

(1.94)

1976

48.8

(1.33)

39.1

(4.27)

40.5

(1.79)

63.0

(2.09)

50.1

(0.75)

32.3

(2.21)

43.8

(1.02)

64.6

(1.20)

32.3

(2.51)

20.8

(1.57)

1977

50.6

(1.30)

27.7

(3.56)

44.2

(1.77)

66.3

(2.02)

49.9

(0.75)

32.4

(2.23)

43.1

(1.02)

64.4

(1.19)

32.1

(2.53)

21.4

(1.57)

1978

50.1

(1.29)

31.4

(3.76)

44.3

(1.75)

64.0

(2.06)

50.0

(0.75)

29.8

(2.14)

43.9

(1.02)

64.5

(1.18)

34.6

(2.45)

20.5

(1.56)

1979

49.3

(1.29)

30.5

(3.80)

43.2

(1.75)

63.2

(2.05)

49.6

(0.75)

31.6

(2.12)

43.4

(1.02)

64.1

(1.19)

32.6

(2.44)

20.8

(1.57)

1980

49.3

(1.31)

32.5

(3.49)

42.5

(1.79)

65.2

(2.09)

50.8

(0.75)

32.2

(2.15)

45.0

(1.02)

65.3

(1.20)

33.0

(2.47)

20.2

(1.58)

1981

53.9

(1.31)

33.6

(3.93)

49.2

(1.76)

67.6

(2.10)

51.3

(0.76)

32.9

(2.12)

44.5

(1.02)

67.9

(1.20)

34.9

(2.44)

23.4

(1.57)

1982

50.6

(1.38)

32.8

(3.87)

41.7

(1.84)

70.9

(2.16)

52.4

(0.80)

33.6

(2.33)

45.4

(1.08)

69.6

(1.27)

36.0

(2.65)

24.2

(1.67)

1983

52.7

(1.41)

34.6

(4.07)

45.2

(1.90)

70.3

(2.20)

52.8

(0.81)

34.0

(2.23)

45.1

(1.09)

71.7

(1.25)

37.8

(2.55)

26.7

(1.66)

1984

55.2

(1.39)

34.5

(3.67)

48.4

(1.92)

74.0

(2.12)

55.1

(0.82)

36.3

(2.29)

48.0

(1.13)

72.9

(1.25)

36.6

(2.61)

24.9

(1.69)

1985

57.7

(1.47)

40.2

(4.20)

50.6

(2.05)

74.6

(2.19)

55.5

(0.83)

35.9

(2.21)

49.1

(1.15)

73.2

(1.27)

37.3

(2.55)

24.1

(1.71)

1986

53.8

(1.45)

33.9

(3.64)

48.5

(2.00)

71.0

(2.31)

56.1

(0.85)

36.8

(2.26)

49.6

(1.18)

73.2

(1.29)

36.4

(2.60)

23.5

(1.75)

1987

56.8

(1.48)

36.9

(3.94)

50.0

(2.10)

73.8

(2.19)

56.5

(0.85)

37.6

(2.25)

51.1

(1.17)

72.6

(1.32)

35.0

(2.60)

21.5

(1.76)

1988

58.9

(1.60)

42.5

(4.46)

54.7

(2.17)

72.8

(2.56)

58.4

(0.94)

42.4

(2.58)

53.4

(1.30)

72.5

(1.46)

30.2

(2.97)

19.1

(1.96)

1989

59.6

(1.58)

48.1

(4.40)

55.4

(2.20)

70.7

(2.52)

59.5

(0.90)

45.6

(2.57)

54.9

(1.23)

73.2

(1.44)

27.6

(2.95)

18.4

(1.90)

1990

60.1

(1.60)

46.7

(4.76)

54.4

(2.14)

76.6

(2.54)

60.7

(0.92)

44.8

(2.63)

56.0

(1.27)

75.0

(1.44)

30.2

(3.00)

19.0

(1.92)

1991

62.5

(1.62)

39.5

(4.50)

58.4

(2.25)

78.2

(2.39)

61.5

(0.92)

42.2

(2.62)

56.5

(1.26)

78.0

(1.40)

35.8

(2.97)

21.4

(1.88)

1992

61.9

(1.58)

40.9

(4.37)

57.0

(2.18)

79.0

(2.35)

62.3

(0.92)

43.6

(2.60)

57.4

(1.26)

78.8

(1.38)

35.3

(2.94)

21.4

(1.87)

1993

62.6

(1.59)

50.4

(4.56)

56.9

(2.15)

79.3

(2.46)

62.1

(0.91)

44.7

(2.55)

57.3

(1.23)

78.7

(1.39)

34.0

(2.90)

21.5

(1.86)

1994

61.9

(1.54)

43.3

(4.27)

57.8

(2.09)

77.9

(2.40)

62.1

(0.89)

42.0

(2.45)

57.0

(1.23)

80.4

(1.31)

38.4

(2.78)

23.4

(1.80)

1995

61.9

(1.41)

34.2

(3.57)

56.0

(2.00)

83.5

(1.87)

63.0

(0.81)

42.1

(2.16)

58.9

(1.12)

79.9

(1.21)

37.8

(2.48)

21.0

(1.65)

1996

65.0

(1.42)

48.6

(3.78)

62.7

(1.95)

78.0

(2.27)

64.7

(0.82)

47.1

(2.18)

59.9

(1.16)

81.3

(1.19)

34.3

(2.49)

21.4

(1.66)

1997

67.0

(1.37)

57.0

(3.65)

60.7

(1.97)

82.2

(1.98)

65.9

(0.80)

50.6

(2.13)

62.7

(1.12)

79.3

(1.24)

28.7

(2.47)

16.6

(1.67)

1998

65.6

(1.38)

46.4

(3.62)

64.7

(1.89)

77.5

(2.20)

65.2

(0.80)

50.3

(2.13)

61.9

(1.10)

78.4

(1.24)

28.1

(2.47)

16.6

(1.66)

1999

62.9

(1.38)

47.6

(3.77)

60.2

(1.87)

75.4

(2.26)

64.0

(0.80)

47.9

(2.13)

61.5

(1.10)

76.6

(1.29)

28.7

(2.49)

15.1

(1.70)

2000

63.3

(1.41)

49.7

(3.67)

59.5

(1.97)

76.9

(2.22)

62.7

(0.82)

47.1

(2.16)

58.8

(1.14)

77.4

(1.29)

30.3

(2.52)

18.6

(1.72)

2001

61.8

(1.41)

43.8

(3.61)

56.4

(1.97)

80.0

(2.08)

63.5

(0.78)

49.9

(2.07)

59.1

(1.08)

78.3

(1.22)

28.4

(2.40)

19.3

(1.63)

2002

65.2

(1.31)

56.3

(3.64)

60.9

(1.78)

78.2

(2.12)

63.7

(0.78)

50.9

(2.14)

58.4

(1.08)

79.5

(1.20)

28.6

(2.45)

21.0

(1.61)

2003

63.9

(1.35)

52.8

(3.83)

57.6

(1.87)

80.1

(2.02)

65.3

(0.77)

52.5

(2.20)

60.6

(1.05)

79.5

(1.18)

27.0

(2.49)

18.9

(1.58)

2004

66.7

(1.31)

47.8

(3.95)

63.3

(1.79)

80.1

(1.98)

66.4

(0.77)

51.4

(2.24)

62.0

(1.05)

80.5

(1.15)

29.0

(2.52)

18.5

(1.56)

2005

68.6

(1.31)

53.5

(3.86)

65.1

(1.81)

81.2

(1.98)

67.1

(0.76)

50.8

(2.26)

63.3

(1.04)

80.7

(1.15)

29.9

(2.53)

17.4

(1.55)

2006

66.0

(1.33)

50.9

(3.92)

61.4

(1.82)

80.7

(2.01)

67.2

(0.75)

54.5

(2.18)

63.3

(1.03)

80.0

(1.15)

25.5

(2.47)

16.7

(1.55)

2007

67.2

(1.26)

58.4

(3.57)

63.3

(1.73)

78.2

(2.01)

67.3

(0.73)

55.3

(2.11)

63.5

(0.99)

80.2

(1.14)

24.9

(2.40)

16.8

(1.51)

2008

68.6

(1.21)

55.9

(3.50)

65.2

(1.62)

81.9

(1.90)

68.6

(0.71)

56.1

(2.08)

65.1

(0.96)

81.4

(1.11)

25.3

(2.36)

16.2

(1.47)

2009

70.1

(1.23)

53.9

(3.75)

66.7

(1.66)

84.2

(1.84)

68.9

(0.70)

53.3

(2.02)

66.2

(0.94)

82.8

(1.10)

29.5

(2.30)

16.6

(1.44)

20104

68.1

(1.49)

50.7

(3.88)

66.7

(2.03)

82.2

(2.34)

68.8

(0.71)

52.6

(1.97)

66.5

(0.94)

83.0

(1.12)

30.4

(2.27)

16.4

(1.46)

20114

68.2

(1.45)

53.5

(4.25)

66.2

(1.94)

82.4

(2.46)

67.5

(0.89)

51.6

(2.47)

65.9

(1.11)

81.7

(1.42)

30.1

(2.85)

15.9

(1.81)

20124

66.2

(1.59)

50.9

(4.39)

64.7

(2.10)

80.7

(2.54)

66.8

(0.94)

50.3

(2.63)

64.9

(1.26)

80.4

(1.59)

30.1

(3.07)

15.5

(2.03)

20134

65.9

(1.58)

45.5

(4.31)

63.8

(2.32)

78.5

(2.68)

66.8

(0.98)

51.6

(2.74)

64.0

(1.36)

80.8

(1.46)

29.2

(3.10)

16.8

(2.00)

20144

68.4

(1.67)

57.8

(4.42)

63.6

(2.31)

83.6

(2.17)

67.8

(1.00)

57.5

(2.54)

63.2

(1.36)

81.7

(1.41)

24.2

(2.91)

18.5

(1.96)

20154

69.2

(1.54)

69.2

(4.42)

62.2

(2.04)

83.2

(2.33)

68.8

(1.14)

63.1

(3.03)

62.9

(1.54)

83.4

(1.58)

20.3

(3.42)

20.5

(2.21)

1 Individuals ages 16 to 24 who graduated from high school or completed a GED.

2 Enrollment in college as of October of each year for individuals ages 16 to 24 who had completed high school earlier in the calendar year.

3 A 3-year moving average is a weighted average of the year indicated, the year immediately preceding, and the year immediately following. For 1975 and 2015, a 2-year moving average is used: The moving average for income groups in 1975 reflects an average of 1975 and 1976, and the moving average for 2015 reflects an average of 2014 and 2015. Moving averages are used to produce more stable estimates.

4 Beginning in 2010, standard errors were computed using replicate weights, which produced more precise values than the generalized variance function methodology used in prior years.

NOTE: Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population. Low income refers to the bottom 20 percent of all family incomes, high income refers to the top 20 percent of all family incomes, and middle income refers to the 60 percent in between. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October, 1975 through 2015. (This table was prepared July 2016.)